Liberty University employees gathered for a time of worship and heard from President Dondi Costin and Chancellor Jonathan Falwell Aug. 25 at the all-faculty and staff Convocation. The event was held at the Thomas Road Baptist Church worship center.
Costin opened the event by thanking the faculty and staff for how they positively influence the student body’s experience on campus.
“This is what you do for a living, and I could not be more grateful than to be your colleague, arm-in-arm, doing what God wants us to do in this place,” Costin said.
Then, Falwell took the stage to discuss how important it is for employees to show students what it is like to be ambassadors for Christ in their daily lives.
“We have a responsibility to be Champions for Christ first. It is impossible for us to have the vision or the directive of having the passion to train young Champions for Christ if we are not pursuing that same role in our own lives,” Falwell said.
He explained the vision that his father, Jerry Falwell Sr., had for the university in the 1970s, and how much the school has grown.
“Here we are now, … 170,000 students will be studying in the Liberty system this year, studying to be Champions for Christ … but do not forget, 170,000 people will not change the world if we ourselves in this room are not seeking God to change us first,” Falwell said.
He said that the mission for the students is just as important for the employees who are training the university’s next generation of leaders.
“Every single person in this room, no matter what your job description is, I want you to know, God has called you and God has chosen you for such a time as this,” Falwell said.
“The Convocation really shows that the leadership of the school cares about us as faculty and staff,” Jones said. “It’s not just, ‘come here, do this job,’ they really care about us.”
Jones said he hopes that events like this will reach other employees who haven’t worked in a Christian environment and encourage them to learn more about God.
Riden is the on-campus news editor for the Liberty Champion.